Lost And Found
by IWriteToEscape
Summary: What if Ashley and Spencer were on Oceanic 815? Setting based on the show Lost...because sometimes it takes getting lost to be found! Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Please review!
1. Chapter 1  Expedition

Chapter 1 - Expedition

It's been a month since we crashed on this island. Majority of the people are giving up on rescue. For me, hope is dwindling as well. Since the moment we crashed, I've been imagining what it'll be like. The rest of my life spent on this lonely island with a population of 40. As time goes by, my imagination is seemingly becoming my reality. I've spent my life running away from everyone, with a firm belief that I was a destructive force to everyone. God sure has a cruel sense of humor. I've been volunteering to go on every expedition. From looking for other inhabitants to possible ways to get off the island. So far, every trip has been uneventful. Except, I'm noticing her.

Her name is Ashley, she introduces herself as Ash. For the most part she keeps to herself. She goes on every expedition as well, seems like she wants off as much as me. I noticed her during one of our first trips, we were looking for a source of water. About 3 hours in the journey, one of our party fell into a ditch and broke his leg. While everyone else panicked to his screams, she kept calm. She organized a mock stretcher to be built, and we carried him back to the camp site. During the entire time, I was mesmerized by her. Her eyes and feature seemed void of compassion and empathy, yet she played the biggest part in his rescue. It was like watching a wild animal tied to society rules.

From then on, I've paid closer attention to her. Not because I wanted to, but I couldn't help it. Whenever she's around, I would find my eyes trained on her. When I'm not looking at her, my other senses are kicking in full gear at her every movement, word, breath. A couple of times her eyes caught mine. The feeling that surged through me was something I've never felt before. Hey eyes were cold, focused, determined. When they looked into mine, it made me feel a mixture of excitement and vulnerability. The first time we encountered, I was in my tent sorting clothes. I didn't know she was behind me until I heard her voice. It sounded smooth and guttural, yet feminine. Sexy.

"Spencer" I whipped around, I knew her voice even though we never spoke. I've heard it on rare occasions when she would offer her short but valuable opinion. I couldn't help the blush and the smile that came rushing. I quickly tucked the loose strand of hair behind my ear. She looked at me intently for a quick second, like she noticed everything in that instant. Then she looked out to the horizon, she squinted her eyes and shielded them from the sun with her right hand. I can't help but watch the light bounce off of her light brown iris. "Few of us are heading into the jungle, Sayide says he found an old plane crash." With that she was walking away before I could get a word in. I was still watching the way her messy brown hair sway when she turned around 10 steps away. She caught me staring again, this time the left corner of her lips curled up into a light smirk every so subtly. "We're leaving in 15" she walked away.

I quickly changed into my hiking clothes and grabbed my backpack. I checked myself in a jagged piece of broken mirror before I stepped out. When I reached the gathering point only a few people were there, it didn't matter, she was already there. She was sitting on a rock with her left elbow resting on her thigh and was playing around with a butterfly knife with her right. I watched her for a minute, if was like she was making the knife dance. She was watching the horizon with her chin on her left hand, she paid no attention to the knife in her other hand, like it had a mind of its own.

"How'd you learn how to do that?" She looked up at me, a little bit startled.

She looked back down at the hand toying with the knife, as if she didn't even realize what she was doing. She waited a second before looking back at me, right into my eyes. "Girl scouts" she said with a light smirk.

"Do you really want the first thing you ever told me to be a lie?" I was surprised at my straightforwardness, and judging by the flash in her eyes and how quickly her smirk turned into a taught line, so was she. There was silence for a moment, "second chance, how did you manage to get it on the plane?" I saw her shoulders relax, for the first time I saw her smile, and it was at me. It was one of the most genuine smiles I've ever seen, and in that moment her coldness melted.

"It's not mine, I got it from Locke, thought it come in handy." She started to say more but was interrupted.

"Ok now that everyone's here lets get moving. We want to make it back before nightfall" Jack ordered.

She stood up fast but graceful. She reached out her hand to me. It was then I noticed a couple of long thin scars that ran down her left forearm, "Guess we better get moving"

I took her hand in mine as she pulled me up. I couldn't help but shudder at the surge of electricity that traveled up my arm and through my entire body. I looked into her eyes, and I saw the same look that I'm sure was in mine. As quickly as it came, she dropped my hand and turned to leave with the group. I stumbled behind.

We walked in close proximity for the journey there, never speaking a word. Occasionally our hands would brush together, but she would purposely pull away intentionally. Never the less, she always remained next to me. The plan didn't go accordingly, by the time we reached the wreckage it was already night time. Jack passed out torches to each pair. As he handed one to her, he glanced at me, I could tell he wanted me to go with him, instead I shifted closer to her. He gave a slight nod and walked away. I looked at Ash to see if she noticed my intentions, instead I found her staring at the wreckage with her brows furrowed. "Ash, whats wrong?"

"Something doesn't smell right" She said as she squatted down and grabbed a handful of dirt. I could see every contour of her face and neck under the firelight, I couldn't look away. I couldn't help but blush when she looked up and at me. Right away I noticed something wasn't right, for once I saw something I haven't yet seen in her eyes...panic. "Ash? Whats..." before I can finish she threw the torch into a puddle.

She whipped around as if she's looking for everyone, like she knew something was about to happen. "Everybody, put out your fire!" Everybody looked as confused as me. They proceeded to do so without asking, because they knew, when Ash spoke, it's for a reason. She was just about to let out a breath of relief when she spotted the man who tripped, all of a sudden everything went into slow motion. As he tripped, the torch flew out of his hand. I felt Ash's entire body tense up as she pulled me into her arms, she screamed for everybody to "Get down!" as she threw her body on top of mine both of us tumbled to the ground. Then came a loud explosion.


	2. Chapter 2 Hero

_Hey guys, I actually have this story written up to chapter 7. Just want more reviews so I can edit/taylor them based on it. Glad you guys like it so far! So without further adieu, here is chapter 2!_

Chapter 2 - Hero

In the midst of chaos, I can't help but notice that our entire body was in contact. Her breast pressed against mine. Her lips barely touching my neck. Her arms wrapped tightly around me. I pressed closer to her, and burrowed my head into the crook of her neck. It seemed as though we stayed like that for an eternity but a second at the same time, something I've never felt before. I was still holding on tight when I felt her push herself up. She hovered on top of me, and looked into my eyes. In that instant I saw something else I've never seen in her...fear. "Spencer! Spencer!" her voice came in muffled, my ears haven't adjusted yet from the explosion. "Are you okay?" She searched me up and down.

"I'm fine, I'm okay I think" I could still see some of the fear lingering, she kept on patting my body, checking for wounds. I couldn't help but feel goosebumps everywhere her hands touched. It wasn't until she was done checking for herself, did I see relief wash over her beautiful face.

"Spencer are you okay?" I heard Jack's voice approach closer as he ran over in the dark.

"Yeah I'm okay...Ash saved me" I could see a small smile play at her lips in the moonlight.

"Ash, what the hell was that?" Jack asked

"Resin" She replied simply. By this time the group have gathered all around us.

"The explosive stuff?" Hurley asked. Everyone looked at him baffled. "What? It was in Uncharted." No body showed any sign of clarification. "It's a video game!" He explained exasperated. Then everyone rolled their eyes and looked back to Ash.

"Yeah, he's right...it's extremely rare, I have no clue what it's doing here" Everyone was still waiting for more explanation, when Ash ran off. Everyone followed her to where the man had tripped, only to find the man and his partner in several pieces around. A couple of people clasped their hands to their mouths and lingered. Ash didn't waste a second, she walked away from the crowd, towards a nearby stream. As she brushed passed me I caught her eyes, again no compassion or evidence of sadness, just determination.

I stood frozen by the site of explosion for a while. This whole situation seems so surreal, two men just got blown to pieces, and theres nothing. No funeral, no emergency response, hell we didn't even know their last names. Everyone in the group seem to be at a loss when Jack spoke. "It's too dark to journey back, we'll make camp a little further down the stream and head back to the beach in the morning." Everyone scattered and started walking, each of them seemed more unsure than ever. I felt Jack rest his hands on my lower back. "How are you doing Spence?".

I shifted away, my first instinct was I didn't want Ash to see him this close to me. "I'm fine, I better go find Ash and tell her the plan" I left him standing there, I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away. I could see her through the trees, she was kneeling in the stream, with the water up to her thighs. She had her tank top off and was only in her bra, she was scooping water and washing her body off. I couldn't help but take in the way the moonlight was bouncing off of her tanned toned torso. As I got closer I noticed that her back was covered with the same long thin scars as the ones on her arm. "Hey" I called out.

She whipped around and instantly winced and doubled over ever so slightly. She was hurt! I ran over and knelt next to her. "Whats wrong where are you hurt?" I asked while putting my hands on her back. I then saw a gash on the side of her stomach bleeding generously. "Oh my god Ash, we need to get you to Jack!" I said with panic.

"It's nothing it's just a shrapnel, a minor scratch." She said, pouring more water over it, washing the blood off, more quickly replaced it.

"A minor scratch? You're bleeding like the Niagara falls!" I cried. In that instant I've never been more scared. Even more than when the plane crashed. I realized that I can't lose this woman that I barely know. In the same second, I felt her collapse into my arms. "Jack! Jack! We need help!" I screamed.

Jack and Hurley carried Ash to the shore, while other members of the group cleared an area for her. Watching them carry her, you would never know how someone so fragile looking can be so strong. They laid her down in the clearing and Jack's medical skills kicked in. "Spencer you've gotta give us some space." Jack ordered, but I couldn't remove myself, I can't be any further from her, I need to know she'll be okay. Jack seems to realize this, and ignored me for the time being. "She's lost a lot of blood, I'll need to stitch this up. She won't like this." He declared as he pulled out the medical supplies from his backpack. I watched as he cleaned the wound with a small bottle of sample vodka, and threaded the thread through the needle.

"Don't you have a color that's closer to my skin tone?" I startled at Ash's sultry voice. Was she seriously making a joke?

"I was hoping I could do this while you were out, this isn't going to be pleasant" Jack explained.

"Do what you have to." She simply said and turned her eyes to me. I hurried over to her side and held her hand desperately. All of a sudden her face contorted in pain and she let out a grunt. I look down over to Jack and saw him threading the needle into her flesh. Right by her wound, were more scars that were in various shapes and sizes. At the same time I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Her bra clad torso was perfectly toned, and her abs were contracting with pain. I also noticed that above her left breast, right on top of her heart was a row of tattoo. It looked like a date, 2.14.2000. Underneath the date was two letters, JJ. I made a mental note of it. I squeezed her hand tighter and placed my other hand on her cheek. I felt her jaw tighten under my palm.

When Jack was done she was passed out again. "She'll be okay, we'll have to keep an eye on the wound so it doesn't get infected. I have some antibiotics back at camp, she'll be fine, she's tough." He said to me, sensing my worries.

"What do you mean by that? That she's tough" I didn't like how Jack presumed to know her, when he's known her for as long as I have.

"Those scars, that were on her. They came from gun shot wounds and knife wounds Spence." He said quietly with his eyes trained on me.

"How can you be sure?" I didn't want to believe that this woman has suffered any type of abuse or mistreatment.

"Years of rotation in the ER in the worst part of the city." He looked to me expectantly, but I gave him nothing.

"Can you keep an eye on her, I'm going to get some water for her when she wakes up." I said as I walked off, wanting to change the subject. When I returned he gave me a simple nod and walked to his own resting area. I thanked him silently for the help and for knowing that I wanted to be alone with Ash. I leaned against a tree and cradled her head in my lap. I gently wiped off the beads of sweat on her forehead with my shirt. I lightly traced the contours of her face and neck, and watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. I couldn't help but feel sad when I think of what she had to go through to get those scars. When I made sure she was okay, I leaned down and gently pressed my lips on her forehead. "Thank you" I whispered. I swore I saw a light smile flash by under the moonlight.


	3. Chapter 3 Betrayal

Chapter 3 - Betrayal

The harsh sun on my face woke me up in the morning, I opened my eyes and found myself alone. I instantly stood up and looked around. Then I found her kneeling by the stream splashing water on her face and her hair. I knelt down beside her and washed my face too. "Hows your cut?" I asked.

"Nothing a little time won't heal" She answered. "We better get going, Jack wants to head back to the camp." She stood up and started to walk away. I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Listen, about last night" I started, I wanted to thank her, for saving my life. I wanted to tell her, how scared I was, how I want her to be okay, how I felt.

"It's ok." She said, cutting me off, abruptly. She took two steps away, and turned back. This time her expression looked gentle, apologetic, she opened her mouth to say something, but decided not to, and walked away.

The journey back felt short. Ash made no evidence that she was hurt, she carried on like before. Everything about this woman drew me in even more. How did she get this tough, how does she know the things she know. Why does she seem so detached. Why did she look scared when she thought I was hurt? Most importantly, who hurt her? When we made it back to camp, everyone greeted us. Jack told them about the two men that we lost, everyone decided to have a little ceremony for them. Of course during which, Ash didn't attend. Afterwards, I found her sitting by the shore watching the horizon. Something I noticed that she does more often than not. "Hey hero" I sat myself down next to her.

She let out a deep sigh before answering "No such thing here" she gave a little smile.

"Listen about yesterday" I tried again.

"Watch" she interrupted, extending her arm out. I followed my sight to what she's pointing at. The sun was about to set, it looked beautiful. "Somethings just are, they don't need to be said." We sat there watching the sun set. As darkness took over, she stood up. "Good night Spencer" and with that I watched her walk back to her tent. I sat there first confused, then anger took over. How could she not even give me a chance to thank her? Before I knew it I had stormed over to her tent and entered it. She was in the middle of changing the dressing on her wound. She was wearing nothing but her bra and underwear. I couldn't help but stare.

"Spencer?" She looked at me, a mix of amusement and wonder.

"Who the hell do you think you are Ashley?" All of a sudden I remembered what came for. "You go around thinking you are better than everyone, that no one deserves your attention. I was just trying to..." Before I could finish, I felt her lips on mine.

Her lips tasted sweet and salty at the same time. I could feel her hands around my cheeks, her thumbs drawing small circles. I lost control of my self. I wrapped my arms around her neck and deepened into her kiss. Nothing has ever felt so right. All of a sudden, my life, my warrant, the plane crashing, everything that happened seemed to lead up to this moment. This is where I'm meant to be. Just as quickly as she was there, she was gone. She pulled away so suddenly, my lips instantly missed hers. "I'm sorry" Was all she said.

In that moment she looked vulnerable, and all I want to do was make it okay for her. I walked over and gave her a small smile. I took her hand in both of mine and held it to my chest. "It's okay Ash" I leaned in and tried to show her how okay it was. She pulled away again before I could.

"No it's not Spencer, you need to leave now." Was all she said, as she dropped her head in shame.

"Ash, I want this. I want...you." I was surprised at myself. Even more so, I was surprised at her reaction. Her head snapped back up at me, and her anger burned through me. I took a step back.

"Go, now" She breathed, in a low voice. I was so shocked I didn't know what else to do but leave. As I exited, I took one look back. She slumped down in her cot, and dropped her head into her hands. I've never been more confused.

As I laid in my tent that night, I was unable to sleep. Thoughts of her, me, us ran through my head. I couldn't believe that I could ever feel this way about anyone. Especially about someone who I know so little about. I thought about her cold eyes, except for when they're on me. All I want to do is know more about her, and feel her lips on mine again. I wanted to take care of her, to let her know that I won't hurt her. All of a sudden, getting off of this island is no longer the priority.

The next few weeks passed uneventfully. Ash went on a few expeditions with Jack's group. I stopped going for a couple of reason. One being, getting off the island no longer occupied my mind. Two, I didn't know how to act around her. However, that didn't stop me from watching her whenever she's around. I started to notice Shannon hanging out around her a lot, and this bothered me. Shannon was definitely flirting with Ash, but she showed no sign of interest which I took comfort in. Once in a while I would catch Ash looking at me, but as soon as I gave her a smile she would look away.

One morning I woke up extra early, I decided to go for a swim in the ocean. As I exited my tent, I saw Shannon coming out of Ash's. She gave me a sly smile as she hurried off to her own. Anger instantly surged through me, before thinking I stormed into Ash's tent. "What the hell was that" I demanded. She laid in her cot with her bare torso exposed, the sleeping bag covered the rest. She showed no sign of embarrassment, I flushed as I turned around. "Can you put on some clothes please?" I waited while I hear her shuffle behind me.

"You can turn around now." I turned around and found her fully dressed and standing. "What is it that you came here for Spencer?"

I can't believe her question. "Are you kidding me Ash? What exactly were you doing with Shannon? You don't tell her that she needs to go?" I lost all control of my anger, I can't believe I was acting this way. This isn't me, I don't even recognize myself. "You kissed me, and then you tell me to go. Then I find you fucking that bimbo? Honestly Ash, I don't understand you."

"She doesn't mean anything to me." She replied lamely.

"Oh ok I feel better now" I huffed sarcastically.

"Spencer," she started, but I couldn't bear hearing her telling me to go again. I had to cut her off.

"I don't understand Ash!" I yelled. "I know you feel something for me, just like I feel something for you!"

"Exactly!" She screamed, she caught me off guard, I've never seen her lose her cool before. I looked at her questioningly. She dropped her head and rubbed the back of her neck. "I care about you Spence." I couldn't help but smile at her confession, and her use of my nickname. "I've cared about you since we've crashed here" she gestured at the beach. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it made my heart flutter, something I didn't even know it could do. "I don't know what it is about you Spence, but you make me feel something I haven't felt in a long time, something I have no business feeling."

I couldn't hold it in anymore, I rushed up to her and cupped her face with my hands. "Me too Ash, I feel the same way" I leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away from me again.

"It can't happen Spencer!"

"Why not? It happened with Shannon. Are you telling me you want to be with her more?" I accused, I felt rejected, insecure, and vulnerable. I remembered why I don't get close to people in the first place. Finally, defense mechanisms I've build up all these years kicked in. Emotions drained from my face. "Okay Ash, have it your way." With that I walked out of her tent.


	4. Chapter 4 Spencer

Hey all! True to LOST we will be getting flashbacks on Ash and Spencer from time to time. I know some of you are itching for the two love birds to get together. I'm here to warn you, it'll take some time...because as you will all learn, both of the characters come with a lot of baggage (pun intended). Anyways, hope you are still enjoying the story, I'm certainly enjoying writing it. As always, keep the reviews coming so I know what works!

Chapter 4 - Spencer

Flashback - Teenage Spencer's POV - 15 years prior to the crash

"I'm so sorry officer, I promise it won't happen again." It makes me so angry listening to my mom apologize like that. Why does she have to be so weak, why can't she stand up for herself...and for me?

"Mam, this is the 3rd time we've had to bring Spencer back this month. Next time we'll have to arrest her and bring her to the station." The officer threatened my already frazzled mother. Honestly, I'd like to see those pigs try.

"There won't be a next time! And thank you officer, for your kindness."

"Good night mam" The officer turned to leave. "And you be good now young lady, no more vandalizing the principal's house." He said, directing to me. I rolled my eyes and entered the house, preparing myself for the onslaught of bullshit.

"Honestly Spencer, I don't know what's gotten into you." My mom fumed as soon as the door closed. I don't say a word, it's not like she listens to anything I have to say anyway. "Why do you have to insist on acting like a hoodlum? It's those no-darn-good friends of yours I bet."

"Are you serious mom? My friends are the only ones keeping me sane!" I yelled back at her. She can insult me all she wants, but how dare she insult my friends when they've done nothing but listen to me and support me.

"What the fuck is with all the ruckus!" Boomed Ted voice from the TV room. God how I loathe that man. I hate everything about him, the way he looks, talks, smells. The way he comes into my bedroom in the night, running his hands all over me. It's times like these that I wish my father is still alive. Then this vile man wouldn't have made it into our family. Maybe Paula would still have her backbone.

"Nothing sweetheart, I'll bring your dinner in a second." My mom quickly changed her tone into a sweet loving housewife. I just don't understand why she puts up with his bullshit when all he does is sit around, get drunk, and beat the living crap out of me and her whenever he feels like.

"Screw this." I turned around to leave. I slammed the door behind me, cutting off my mom's screaming. I can't handle the Paula and Ted show tonight. I decided to walk to my girlfriend Olivia's house, she always has a way to make me feel better. I walked for about half an hour and was finally at her bedroom window. Just as I was about to knock I heard Olivia's moaning coming from the other side. The type of moaning I usually hear when we are making love. I can't believe my ears, I had to see it for myself.

I snuck in through the garage, using the passcode she gave me. I quietly sneaked down the hallway and reached her bedroom door which was slightly ajar. I lightly pushed it open and I saw what I was dreading. My best friend Aiden was on top of Olivia pounding away. "Un-fucking-believable." I said out loud. The next few seconds was spent watching them scramble around and trying to cover themselves up.

"Baby, it's not what you think!" Olivia tried to give the lamest excuse.

"Yeah, it is actually. Honestly Spencer, we're sick of your bitching all the time about your sad life." Aiden said. I wanted to march over there and punch him in the neck.

"Aiden!" Olivia slapped him on the arm. "No baby, this just happened, we've been drinking, and I don't know...he made me!" Then I watched the two of them argue for a few seconds about how everything went down.

"Stop!" I screamed. "It doesn't matter." I scoffed as I turned away. "Obviously Olivia, things are over between us." I said coldly, right before I walked away. I made sure I got away before either of them had the chance to catch up.

This is enough. I can't stand this life anymore. I need to get away, far away. I walked to my private sanctuary, a cliff that overlooked the town. This is where I come to when I need to escape from things. However, this time is different, I need to permanently disappear. I started to dig up the couple hundred of dollars I had buried under the near by tree, this should get me to Glen, my older brother in New York.

The next couple of days were spent hitchhiking and walking, trying to get as far as I can from this dump. I've managed to travel across two states in three days. It was about six o'clock in the afternoon when a white sedan pulled over.

"Hi! You need a ride?" The owner of the car was in his late 20's, he looked friendly enough, I nodded. "My name's Lucas, where are you going?"

"New York." I replied simply, meanwhile continuing to survey him to see if he was a safe choice.

"Cool I'm heading to Philly."

"Great." I opened the door, I decided that he was safe.

We drove for a couple of hours, talking and laughing. I was getting really comfortable with him. At about one a.m. he pulled off the highway saying he needed to get gas. I didn't think twice about it until I noticed that we were on a dirt road for quite a while.

"Where is this gas station Lucas?" I asked trying not to sound suspicious.

"Just a couple more miles down the road." He looked over at me, this time I could see the malice in his eyes. I started to panic.

"Just let me off here then." I said, not knowing what else to do. Before I knew it, he pulled out a gun from underneath his seat and held it to me. Instinctively I put up my hands.

"Not so fast, Spencer." He said my name sickly sweet. "Let's have ourselves a little fun first." He smiled as he pulled the car over in the middle of nowhere.

I started panicking, this is what I was scared of. I've been so careful all along. I couldn't believe this was happening. Thoughts ran through my head, it's not like I could make a run for it, we were in the middle of nowhere. "Please," I resorted to begging. "You don't have to do this."

"I know I don't have to! But, I really really want to." He taunted. "First, let's make sure you stay for the party." With that he placed the nozzle of the gun on my kneecap and pulled the trigger.

I closed my eyes waiting for the loud bang and the excruciating pain. Instead, nothing. All there is was a loud click. I opened my eyes and looked at him. In that millisecond I saw confusion in his face, and I realized the gun must've jammed. I grabbed it from him as fast as I could. He was still so bogged down by his confusion, he didn't expect my move. I redirected the gun at his head.

"Let's see if I'm luckier than you." I pulled the trigger. That was the first man I've ever killed.


	5. Chapter 5 Briefcase

Chapter 5 - Briefcase

I wanted her to follow me, or stop me, or call my name...anything! But nothing, and nothing followed for the next three days. I would see Shannon sneaking in and out of her tent, thinking no one's noticed. I willed myself to ignore it, to forget her. For some reason my stubborn brain refused. I've always been able to cut people out of my life at the drop of a dime, but for some reason I can't cut her out.

It was a sunny afternoon, approaching evening. I was sitting at the beach a couple of yards behind Ash when I noticed Boone storming over to her. "Stay the hell away from my sister Ashley." Boone demanded in a menacing voice.

"Excuse me?" Ashley asked calmly, not even taking her eyes off of the horizon.

"Shannon! You dirt bag, stay the hell away from her." Boone yelled, lowering his face right into her's, forcing her to look at him. Ash looks unfazed.

"I do not approach her, I do not pursue her." She replied cooly.

"Son of a bitch! Who do you think you are!" Boone screamed. At the same time he pulled back his fist, getting ready to take a swing. I was about to run over and tackle him, but everything moved so quickly I barely had time to react.

Boone swung his fist at Ash's head, but Ash didn't even flinch. She simply tilted her head to the left, successfully dodging his punch. At the same time her right hand reached up and caught his fist. She stood up slowly, and twisted his arm inside out. "I didn't mean any disrespect, I apologize." She stated simply as Boone writhed in pain.

"Ok Ok it's cool, let me go!" Boone cried.

At this, Ash dropped his fist and walked away. Boone cradled his arm and I could see the flash of anger that crossed his face. I could barely scream out my warning when he charged toward Ash. Once again, Ash effortlessly stepped to her right, as if she was anticipating the attack. As a result, Boone lost his balance at the loss of his contact point. Ash caught his right arm as he stumbled forward and effectively pinned it behind him like a chicken wing.

"Like I said before, I'm sorry and I don't want any trouble." She said softly.

"Fine! No trouble! Ok? No trouble!" Boone pleaded. Ash dropped his arm right away and continued into her tent.

I was amazed and confused at the same time. Ash barely moved, and she never attacked Boone, but I could tell that she can fight. Not only that, she was really good at it. I was so frustrated at the fact that not only did I know nothing about her, but she refuses to talk to me. I stomped to the beach and sat down. I saw Jack a little down the beach, talking to Claire and Charlie. He turned around and saw me looking, he waved goodbye to them and started to walk over. "Shit" I mumbled to myself, I really wasn't in the mood to talk to him. I knew he liked me, but I just don't feel comfortable around him. It was too late to walk away, he was only a couple of steps away.

"You look like you need to talk" He smiled and sat down next to me.

"I'm fine"

"Let me guess, it's about Ash?" I shot him a look.

"How did you know?"

He chuckled. "Well, its obvious you and Ash got something going on. I figure the only thing thats gonna get to you right now is either the island or her. And lets face it, you haven't been on an expedition in weeks. Therefore, it's safe to assume you don't really give a crap about the island now."

"Do they teach you detective skills in med school too?" I let out a small laugh.

"Nah some are just born with it." He gave a friendly smile. "So still don't want to talk about it?"

"I just don't get her." I confessed. Truth is, I've been wanting to talk to someone about her. "I think she feels the same way about me as I do her, but every time we get close, she pulls away. I was thinking maybe she's not comfortable being with a girl, but this morning I saw Shannon coming out of her tent half naked."

"Maybe they were just talking" he offered.

"With their clothes off?"

He smiled at this. "Ash seems to be the type of person who goes out of her way to avoid connection with people," Then he looked at me straight in the eyes, "not unlike someone else I know."

"She didn't seem to have any trouble 'connecting' with Shannon." I spat out.

"Sex is certainly one type of connection, but it's very different from an emotional connection. It seems like its the latter that Ash is running away from."

"You are as smart as you look doc." I said giving him a small smile, talking to Jack strangely made me feel better.

"Alright, I better go get some sleep. Locke said he found the other half of the wreckage a couple miles east of the island. You should join, we miss you on the expeditions."

"Yeah, count me in. I can use some time away from the beach." It's true, I needed some excitement. I was also hoping to spend some time with her. After talking to Jack I could see where she's coming from. After all, I should understand emotional detachment better than anyone.

The next day I met up with Jack at the gathering point. I couldn't help but notice that Ash was nowhere in sight.

"Hey Jack, have you seen Ash?"

"Yeah, she said she's not coming. Something about tracking a recording with Sayide" I tried my best to hide my disappointment as I glanced over at her tent. I felt Jack place his hand on my shoulder. Now I could really use this trip to get my mind off of her.

The journey to the wreckage took a couple of hours, but to me it felt short. I couldn't help but think of her the entire journey. Jack was telling me all about his life as a spinal surgeon the whole way, all I could offer was a laugh here and a nod there. When we reached the wreckage, it was a sight to behold. The entire back chamber of the plane was barely balanced on the edge of a waterfall. There were several bodies decaying around the surrounding rocks. Luggages were strewn everywhere cascading down the jagged rocks.

"Alright everyone, lets try to go through some of the luggages and see if we can bring back anything thats useful. Keep your eyes opened for electronics and medications." Jack organized the group into pairs and started the search. "Spence why don't you take the luggage over there."

"Okay thats fine." I said, eager to get away and have some quiet time to myself.

I sorted through a couple of suitcases, not really finding anything. The most interesting one was packed with slutty leather outfits, a whip, and a strap on dildo. I couldn't help but chuckle a little to myself. I was on the fifth one when I noticed a silver briefcase not too far off floating in a shallow pool of water. I decided to grab it before it could drift away. When I pulled it into my lap I noticed it was engraved with the name A. Davies. My heart skipped a beat.

Even though Ashley never told me, I knew Davies was her last name from the flight manifesto that Hurley found when he was doing inventory on every survivor on the island. I was excited that I found this, and that now I have an excuse to go see her and offer her this reward I found. I set it off to the side to go through even more luggage when my curiosity got the best of me. I pulled the briefcase back into my lap and examined it closer. It seemed like a standard case with a 6 digit passcode locking mechanism. I was just about to give up, after all, I knew nothing about Ashley how can I possibly guess this lock combination. Then all of a sudden it occurred to me, the tattoo above her left breast. I clicked the numbers into place 02 14 00 and pressed the unlocking clasp. My breath hitched when the locks popped open.

I sat for a minute with the briefcase slightly open in my lap. This is my chance to find out more about Ashley, but should I really be intruding on her privacy? I decided that since it doesn't seem like she's going to be telling me anything about her any time soon, it wouldn't hurt to take a peek. With a deep breath I opened the lid.

The first thing I noticed was 9mm pistol with a silencer, a mag sat next to it. "What the hell, who are you Ashley Davis?" I whispered to myself. Then I noticed a couple of passports laying next to a couple stacks of cash that seemed to be from different countries. Secured in a folder on the lid is a manila folder. When I saw the name on the folder my heart stopped...Spencer Carlin. My hands were shaking when I took the folder out. I opened it slowly, the documents in it was only a couple of pages, sitting on top of all the papers was a picture, a picture of me.


	6. Chapter 6 A Davies

We finally get a little glimpse of who Ashley is. Short chapter, but lots of info. Keep on reviewing!

Chapter 6 - A. Davies

Flashback - Ashley's POV - 2 weeks prior to the crash

"Ms. Davies, did you receive the package and the compensation?" Came the British woman's voice on the other side of the encrypted line.

"Yes." I replied simply. Keeping everything simple is the key to the line of business I'm in.

"And when can I expect completion?"

"2 weeks."

"Excellent, I've heard great things about you Ms. Davies. The other five hundred thousand will be wired to you upon completion of the assignment. And as always, I am counting on your absolute discretion?"

"Yes, it will appear nothing more than an unfortunate accident." With that I hung up. Theres no need to say more, I will succeed. I always do.

I took the file out of the folder to examine the contents one more time. One one-way ticket from Sydney to LA. A picture and short briefing of my assignment. A check for five hundred thousand US dollars. Just the way I like it, simple. I studied the subject in the picture more carefully. She seems to be in her mid 20's like me, a very beautiful woman. I wonder what she did to piss someone off enough to have her silenced for a million bucks. Then again, I don't want to know, I never want to know. Knowing just lead to complications, and I don't do complications. I am a professional, I've managed to make a great living avoiding complications. I've seen many of my colleagues fail in this profession. The biggest reason for failing is always because they got too close to their assignments. That's why I never ask for anything more on the assignments other than their location and what they look like. You can't see them as humans, they can only be viewed as targets.

I decided to go down the hotel bar for a drink before going to bed. The bartender took my order as soon as I sat down. I pretended like I didn't notice him checking me out. He came back with my whiskey, I was just about to pay him when he told me it's been taken care of and gestured to a blonde woman sitting on the other side. I raised my glass and smiled at her, she smiled back seductively.

After two more drinks, I was opening the door to my room and leading her inside. I pressed her against the wall and kissed her deeply. In the darkness of the room she reminded me of her, of the reason I became the monster that I am. Her blonde hair shined in the moon light, for the remainder of the night she became JJ.


	7. Chapter 7 Confession

Chapter 7 - Confession

I nearly jumped in the air when Jack called my name. I quickly packed everything back into the briefcase and pressed the locks back on.

"Hey Spence," he called again "lets go, it's getting dark, did you find anything useful?"

"Umm, uh no. I didn't." I stumbled over my words. "Just this briefcase, I think it belongs to Ashley."

"Of course, the only trip she misses out on we find something that belongs to her." He joked.

My mind was racing the entire way back. The mystery of Ashley Davies just keep getting bigger and darker. Is that even her real name? All those passports each had a different name but all had her picture. Who is she? FBI, CIA, MI6? I know a couple of agencies were after me, it never occurred to me that they've actually caught up. How come I never noticed Ashley at all, usually I'm very sensitive to when someone's on my trail. Years of training's taught me well. Lastly, do I give this briefcase back to her? I was so deep in thought I didn't notice we already made it back to the beach.

"Hey Ash!" Jack called out, and my eyes shot up. There she is sitting by the beach, of course Shannon is right next to her running her hands up and down her thigh. I couldn't help but smile when I noticed the annoyance on Ash's face.

"Hello Jack" Ashley quickly got up and left Shannon in the middle of her sentence. She walked over to us, fast but graceful at the same time. I took notice of this, I've always admired the graceful air Ash had to her, it wasn't until now that it hit me. All of her movements are accompanied with minimal noise and disturbance, if it wasn't for her extreme beauty, no one would ever notice her. She moved like a ghost. She was standing before us before I could excuse myself. Her eyes instantly zoned in on the briefcase that was in my hand. I could see her jaw tighten ever so slightly, and her eyes go cold. She never looked at me.

"Spencer found something that we think belongs to you." Jack declared. Great, I guess now I have no choice but to give it back to her. I lifted my hand and offered the case to her. For the first time, she looked me in the eye. Like she was searching, to see if I showed any reaction. Thanks to years of training, my eyes don't betray me.

"Here." I looked her straight in the eye with a small smile.

"Got anything in there we can use?" Jack asked.

"Not unless you want to buy some insurance." She answered almost robotically, like she had the answer prepared. She took the case from me, her fingers brushing mine. I couldn't help but close my eyes at her touch. When I opened my eyes, she was already a few steps away.

"Wow she's one hardcore insurance saleswoman." Jack commented, mostly to himself. I was left standing alone as he walked towards his tent.

I spent the entire night tossing and turning, never being able to get my mind off of her. She knew me, for how long, I don't know. How much did she know about me? Is she planning to arrest me? Then it occurred to me, the scars on her body. It must be somehow related to that briefcase. After hours of contemplation I realized what bothered me the most was that she seems to know me, yet I know nothing about her. After who knows how long, I finally passed out.

I was startled awake by a sudden dip in my cot. I opened my eyes and instantly recognized the dark figure sitting at the foot of my cot. "Ash?"

"You've opened it." She said calmly and simply.

"What?" I asked knowing what she meant, but I didn't want to confess right away.

"You forgot to re-scramble the passcode." She took a deep breath. "What did you see?"

"Enough." I didn't know what else to say. She stood up to leave, I instantly sat up and grabbed her. "Who are you Ash?" I couldn't stop myself.

She turned around to face me, even in the dark I could feel her eyes burning through mine. "I'm the person who was sent to kill you." She stated calmly, as if she was ordering pizza at a parlor.

My mind couldn't comprehend what she had just said. It couldn't handle the fact that the woman I've come to care so much for is a danger to me. I couldn't say anything, we stared at each other in the dark. It seemed like time stood still. The rational part of me is telling me to run, but if she wanted to hurt me, wouldn't she have done it by now? Why did she save me the night of the explosion? Deep in my heart, I know I don't have to be scared of her. She knows it too, I can see the outline of her figure relax as she sat back down.

"I'm not gonna hurt you Spence."

"I know." I replied, and it's the absolute truth.

She turned her head to me, I could sense her surprise and relief at the same time. "I owe you an explanation."

"That would be nice."

"Why don't we take a walk"

She got up and exited the tent, I followed her shortly. We walked quietly along the edge of the beach, down a couple of yards from the group. The night was warm with a light breeze. The sky was filled with stars. The moon reflected on the ocean, making it look like a billion dancing stars were floating on the surface. Sometimes it's hard to believe that we are plane crash survivors on a deserted island instead of vacationers on a luxury resort. We found a log close to where the waves were crashing and sat.

She took a couple of minutes, contemplating her words, then she spoke. "I never had a family. When I was a baby, my father died in a car crash, and at that time my mother decided she didn't want me anymore. So she left me at the doorsteps of a church. I know, cliche." She chuckled, there was no bitterness in her voice. It was like she's a reporter reporting on facts. "Of course, as you would expect I was passed around from foster home to foster home, since I wasn't exactly the easiest kid to deal with. Finally, at 15 the state decided I was a lost cause and put me in a 'home for girls'. Ironically it was my first real home."

I studied her every expression in the moonlight. She's shown nothing until now. I could see a flash of happiness. In that moment, she wasn't the cold Ashley that I came to know. She became an innocent younger version of herself.

She took a deep breath and continued with a barely visible smile. "I've made good friends there. There was this one girl, her name is...was Jennifer." I could see the blissfulness instantly disappear as she changed tenses and said the name. Her jaw tightened as if she was forcing herself to say the name out loud. Then she turned to me.

"She had beautiful blond hair, like yours." She said softly, as she tucked a strand of my loose hair behind my ear. I looked into her eyes intently, and could see the all the hurt that she was trying so hard to hide. "She had the heart of an angel, whenever I was in a dark place, she was always the one who pulled me out." She stopped there and looked down. Her breathing grew deeper. All of a sudden her tattoo came to mind, and before I could stop myself I said it out loud.

"JJ" I remembered to myself out loud. She snapped her head and looked at me surprised.

"How did you know that?" She asked. I was relieved that she wasn't upset by my slip.

"Your tattoo, I saw it the night you were hurt." I explained, placing my palm on her heart. I could feel her body tense at my touch at first, then she relaxed into it.

"Of course, that must've been how you figured out my passcode too." I looked down, a little ashamed at the mention of the invasion. She closed her eyes and remembered. "That was my nick name for her, no body called her that except for me. We were as happy as anyone can be. We planned on moving away together after we turned eighteen, we wanted to get married, to have children, and 2 dogs." I could see her happiness return as she talked about her would be life with JJ. As always, it didn't last long. The cold Ashley was back in an instant.

"The day we were moving out, JJ went out to run some errands. When she didn't come back after 3 hours I knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my heart, it was actually a physical manifestation" She closed her eyes and a lone tear ran down her cheek. "I found out later that she was car jacked by some low class drug dealer, and he decided that she was too big of a risk to be let go after he was done using her. He left her in a side ditch to die, like a piece of garbage." She turned to look at me, and in that moment, Ash looked dangerous, her eyes were the coldest I've ever seen. She continued in a sneering tone.

"After that, there was no more moving away. I spent all my time tracking down the asshole. It didn't take long, every junkie in town was buying from him." Her expression turned into a devilish grin. "I took my time with him, made sure he felt a hundred times the pain my JJ felt. By the time I was done I don't think his own mother could recognize him." She looked at me again, proud this time. For the first time, I was scared of her. She must've been able to tell, because she quickly composed herself, and she was back to regular eerily calm Ashley. We sat there quietly for a couple of minutes. I didn't know what to say to a story like this. I felt deeply sorry for her, but I know I could never show that to her. Someone like Ashley would take pity and sorry as an insult. Instead, I just sat quietly with her. Even though I had a million questions running through my mind, I know this was not the time to ask them. We watched the ocean, until she was ready to speak again.

"Turns out, I wasn't the only one who had a problem with him." She started off randomly. Instantly, I gave her my undivided attention. "Another mob boss has been wanting to eliminate him for quite some time. Something about turf wars. Anyways he liked what I had done, and decided to take me under his wing. So for the next couple of years I worked for him."

"What kind of work?" I couldn't hold back my question anymore. Part of me had a suspicion of what kind of work she did, but I wanted to hear her say it.

"I eliminated problems for him. Problems like that drug dealer." She stated simply.

"You're an assassin." I whispered.

"Yeah I guess, you make it sound like it's a Hollywood movie." She chuckled, it wasn't really the expression I was expecting.

"So you were sent to assassinate me?" I pointed out the obvious. I could see her tense up immediately. "I don't understand, why would some mob boss want to kill me?" I was instantly confused. I've done plenty of bad in my day, but nothing that involved drugs. I couldn't think of any connection to the mob, nevertheless have them want to kill me.

"He wasn't the one who sent me after you. After a couple of years working for him, I decided to 'branch out' so to speak. I started working independently, accepting contracts from anyone who was willing to pay the right fee." She turned to look at me, and proceeded carefully. "Yours, came from a British woman at a hefty one million dollars."

She didn't need to say anything more, I knew who it was. I closed my eyes.


	8. Chapter 8 Modern Day Robin Hood

Chapter 8 - Modern Day Robin Hood

Flashback - Spencer's POV - 4 months prior to the crash

"Come here sweetheart, show papa what you've got." He seduced, wearing nothing but boxers. Ugh this part always makes me want to gag, yet it's my job so I have to act professional.

"Papa, I've been a naughty girl." I walked over slowly, taking off my top. I could almost see the drool dripping down his lip.

"Then you need to be punished." He said, never taking his eyes off of my breasts. Where the hell is my team? I wondered to myself, I really don't want to have to touch this asshole, but it looks like I have no choice. I push him onto the bed and straddle him. He was about to put his sausage fingers on my breast when my team arrived.

BOOM. The door to the hotel was kicked open. Senator Hix sat up so quick I fell off of the bed.

"Alright Senator, fun's up. Time to pay up." Boz commanded in his most threatening voice.

"Who the hell are you people?" The senator asked in a shaky tone.

"Doesn't matter." Clay chimed in, tossing a lap top onto the bed. "Now we've encrypted a secure network to an offshore account. An account that you...the senator, are the lucky chosen donator." Clay was the smart technology savvy one of the group. Without him, this whole 'project' would've never succeeded.

"And, if you don't," Boz chimed in, while grabbing me by the hair. "We get to see what this little lady's brains look like agains that beautiful floral wallpaper." He pointed the gun to my head. I pretended to be scared and cry for Hix to save me. "Meanwhile, we make sure you are paralyzed, so you don't go anywhere while the paparazzi snaps up plenty of juicy pictures of this story. I'm sure Mrs. Senator will be delighted to see you in the front page news." With that, he closed the deal.

"Ok, Ok! No need for violence. How much are we talking about here?" Hix countered.

"Seven hundred big ones." Clay offered. The senator was about to say something when Clay interrupted again. "Ah ah, before you reject. Know that we've been watching you Senator. We know about the deal in North Korea. We know how many people had to die for you to make that money. Just be happy we're not asking for interest." With that the Senator was silenced. We all watched as he entered his account number and initiated the transfer.

"There it's done, ok? Now just let me go, and forget about the whole thing." The Senator huffed. Meanwhile, Clay checked the transfer to make sure everything was kosher. He gave Boz a nod, assuring that the transfer was complete.

"Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you Senator. This little plaything you got here seems quite tasty. I hope you don't mind that we take her along with us!" Boz laughed as he dragged me by my hair out the doorway. I pretended to scream for Hix's help to finish the act.

Back in the van, we all opened a bottle of Dom to toast our latest success. I rubbed the back of my head where Boz had dragged me.

"Geez Boz you didn't have to play it that hard in there. You really could've hurt Spence." I could always count on Clay to be the big softie. Boz was about to apologize when I intervened.

"No, it's okay! We need to sell this, remember? Next time Boz, feel free to slap me around. You guys know...it's all in the details." I concluded.

"You and the details." Boz laughed as he messed my my hair. Boz and Clay have become my big brothers so to speak. I met them a while back through Glen, and together we've come up with this scheme where we scam dirty politicians and officials into giving up their dirty money. We call ourselves the modern day Robin Hood. It's a small function but definitely effective. Glen is in charge of the target selection and research. Clay is the technology guru. Boz is the tough guy, not afraid to get his hands dirty. As for me, I'm the bait.

"So what's our total now, Clay?" I asked.

"With the cool seven hundred K, that brings us up to 5.6 million!" He exclaimed.

"Wooooo!" We all toasted each other on our success. The 'business' has only been running for nine months, and we were able to net more than five million dollars. However, we don't keep most of it. We donate the majority to different charities and foundations. At the end of the day, we only keep about a fifth of the money. Still that is about a million dollars split four ways!

"Ohhh and look at this. Another E-mail from Glen." Clay intervened in the middle of our celebration. I leaned over his shoulder and read out loud.

_ Hey guys,_

_ I'm glad the last mission was a success. Don't celebrate too fast, I already found the next target. I've been doing some research on this one. She comes from old money, seems to be an upstanding and talented gal, but her family is covered with dirt. We can't do the usual charm-and-fuck being that this is a lady, second being this seems like a pretty down to earth lady. She will require some romance (Spence, you know what to do, yes we are sending Spence because she is the best. Also, the target prefers the ladies). Anyways, her name is Giselle Archibald, yes THE Archibald. As in British royalty. If we pull this one off, it's retirement for all of us boys...and girl. I've attached the information with this e-mail. Don't screw it up, and try not to get killed. - _

_Glen_

"Holy shit." Boz exclaimed. "An Archibald? Glen is not dicking around!" We all went into a stupor. The Archibald's were British royalty, meaning googolians of dollars. This will be a major pay day if we pull this off. Something about Glen's email bothered me tho. I was used to being the 'prostitute', something that only required one to two days of contact. From what I know about Giselle Archibald, she is a hopeless romantic. I don't know if I have what it takes to be what she's looking for. I've sure got my work cut out for me, but I guess for a googolian dollars, I will figure it out.


	9. Chapter 9 Giselle Archibald

_Hello gang, sorry for the long gap between updates! This chapter's written a little sloppily, so apologies. Had lots of ideas that I wanted to get out, but didn't want to drag the story on. Let me know how you guys like it. Cheers!_

Chapter 9 - Giselle Archibald

I don't know how long I was stuck in my train of thought, but Ash never rushed me. When I returned to reality I found her sitting quietly next to me. She was leaning back on her elbows watching the ocean serenely. It's time for me to share.

"I didn't really have the best of childhood either." I cleared my throat. She turned to look at me right away. I could see the moon light in her brown beautiful eyes. "Dad died when I was nine, mom brought home a trash boyfriend. Eventually, I ran away." I turned back to look at the ocean admiring the infinite darkness in the night. Similar to the way my life turned. However, in the distant, the horizon meets the moon. It's like after so much darkness, you're bound to find light. I turn back to mine. "After that I got into some bad stuff, it involved people getting hurt." I stop and evaluate Ash's reaction. I didn't want her to think less of me, even though she just told me she murdered people for money. All I saw was compassion, no judgement or anger. She gave me a small smile, signaling encouragement.

"Me and my brother, we kinda started a business where we would blackmail dirty politicians for money, and we were really good at it. One day, we got another target, a British duchess, from the Archibald family."

"Ah." I heard Ash acknowledge silently. She was connecting the dots.

"Her name was Giselle. It was supposed to go like every other stint. I would seduce her, we would gather evidence, and use it against her family until they pays us what we want. Except, she was different. Maybe because she was a woman, she wasn't like every other dirty horny bastard. She was gentle, patient, and kind. In the end what should've been a rouse felt more like reality." I studied Ash's reaction carefully. I could see the tightening of her jaw, and the narrowing of her eyes. She didn't like the fact at this new information, I secretly reveled at her subtle reaction.

"So what happened. To Giselle." She said her name with a very subtle disdain. One that would go unnoticed if one wasn't looking, except one was looking.

"She died." I said simply and to the point.

Flashback - Spencer's POV - 2 months prior to the crash

"Come back to bed, my love." I could hear Giselle calling out from the bedroom.

"Be right there." I stared into my own eyes in the mirror. Oh Spencer, _what the fuck are you going to do_. I thought to myself. This is a completely different situation than what I'm used to. Breaking hearts is not what I'm about, at least when it comes to decent hearts. Over the past 6 weeks, I've gotten to know Giselle, and what I've found was a down to earth, loving, generous, beautiful woman. Here I am, ready to punish her for something her family's done, something she's not even aware of. I know, that it's not the monetary price that her family's going to pay thats going to hurt her. It's the emotional betrayal that I'm about to put her through that's going to devastate her.

"What's taking you so long?" She asked tenderly as I felt her arms wrap around me.

"Just needed some time to wash up." I turned around to face her and pretended to nozzle my nose into the crook of her neck. She smells heavenly, as always. I discreetly checked my watch. In about 5 minutes, I will get a call from Clay telling me everything's settled and I will have to make up some excuse and walk out of this woman's life forever. I looked back into her eyes, trying to convey how much she means to me and how sorry I am all at the same time. I saw nothing but love and tenderness shining back at me through her brilliant blue eyes.

"So what do you fancy..." She couldn't even finish her sentence before the door to her flat was kicked down. Two large men in suits busted in with guns trained on me. Fuck, something's obviously wrong. "Jensen, Reynolds! What is the meaning of this!" She asked exasperated, both of us started by the unforeseen turn of events.

"Mam, this lady here was sent to take you hostage for ransom, and to kill you." FUCK, someone obviously underestimated these people's response time. Boz and Clay were supposed to show them a live feed of us together, and ask for the ransom under the pretense that I will kill Giselle if they don't pay up. Then contact me immediately so I could clear out before she knows what happened.

"No, there must be some mistake here gentleman! This is Spencer, she's very special to me." My heart nearly broke at her words. "Spencer, tell them, surely this is a terrible misunderstanding!" She looked to me, almost bemused in her voice. I couldn't utter a word, in that instant she saw the sadness and the truth in my eyes, and I could see her heart breaking through hers. Everything that followed felt like it happened in slow motion.

The man that's either Jensen or Reynolds held his hand to his ear piece, and uttered "Understood." he nodded to his counterpart. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the assault, it felt like all my senses were on high alert. I could hear the men releasing the safety from their firearm, then pulling the trigger, followed by four shots. The pain never came, for a moment I thought I was in the matrix where the bullets were suspended in the air, then I thought maybe I was dead before I could even realize. I forced myself to open my eyes, the first thing I saw were the henchmen's horrified faces. Nothing registered until I saw her laying in front of my feet, red roses were blooming from her white robe. In her last moments, her eyes still so loving and kind, I could make out her beautiful lips forming one word. _Run_.

Present day

"And thats that." I looked to Ash and expected to see disdain, instead I saw her looking back with nothing but understanding and tenderness. It's so rare to see her show any type of vulnerable reaction, I found myself fascinated. She reached up her hand and gently caressed my cheek.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that." She said simply.

"Yeah needless to say, I quit the business after that. Needed some time to 'find myself' so to speak. The team called the situation a 'hiccup'. Can you believe that bullshit?" I scoffed, thinking back to their insensitivity. Suddenly I felt enraged. "They tried to convince me to go back, but I just couldn't bring myself to it. The money from the Archibald's still cleared, which is enough to send me into retirement. I spent the next few weeks running, from the law, from the Archibalds, from myself. I don't really know, somehow I ended up in Sydney, and now here."

"Here's not too bad." Ash whispered, she had her head down but peeked at me through her beautiful lashes.

I couldn't help but smile at how adorable she looked in that moment, like a little girl. "No, not to bad at all." Before I could say anything else, I felt her warm soft lips on mine. With that, everything that happened before seemed like a lifetime ago, and they all seemed to lead me to this moment.


	10. Chapter 10 Birth

_Short chapter, more to come soon!_

Chapter 10 - Birth

She hovered over me and moved her body into me, her lips never breaking contact with mine. At one point I opened my eyes and were met by hers filled with carnal desire looking back. It made me want her even more, I held her tighter and wrapped my legs around her lower back, securing her to me. Her hands roamed all over my body, leaving a trail of tingle where ever they went. Her left hand snaked up my throat and applied the gentlest of pressure there, while she trailed a line of light kisses down the side of my neck and along my collar bone. It was like her hands are telling me, 'you're mine' and I didn't mind one bit.

Just when I was about to lose myself completely in Ashley, we heard a bone chilling scream coming from the camp, followed by people yelling out commands and flustering about.

"What now?" Ashley groaned and pouted ever so slightly, it was hard to believe that this woman is anything more dangerous than a teddy bear. Then with a quick kiss and a small encouraging smile, she took off running to the camp. Once again, I am amazed at her gracefulness. She ran at full speed, which could rival an olympic runner, yet her feet barely kicked up and sand, it was like watching a gazelle.

By the time I've reached the tent where the horrid screams were coming from, Ash was already there. She was doubled over with her hands on her thighs, and when she heard me approaching she looked up at me with a nauseated look on her face. Instantly, my heart dropped, it must be something really bad for Ash to react like this. I immediately recognized that we were out side of Claire's tent, and the screams belonged to the Aussie blonde's.

I tentatively pushed aside the flaps of the tent, dreading of what I would find. I first see the back of Jack's head, which was positioned between Claire's bare legs. Then I see Charlie on her left side holding her hand with a worried look on his face. Jack must've heard me enter, he quickly whipped around and barked very Jack-like orders. "Spence! Good thing you're here, quick, Claire's in labor, the baby is coming right now. I need you to heat up some drinking water by the fire. I sent Ashley a few moments ago, but I'm not sure if she's up for the task."

"Alright I'll be right back!" I rushed out, and Ash was still doubled over looking a couple shades of green. All of a sudden I found this situation extremely amusing. Ashley the tough assassin, incapacitated by a natural child birth! I couldn't suppress the small laughter that came out. She looked up at me with her brows furrowed in confusion. I didn't have time to explain to her my little joke, I gave her a quick gentle stroke on the back and ran towards the fire to fetch the water.

The birth went well, Claire successfully gave birth to baby boy Aaron. Watching Charlie playing the role of the willing father was kind of comforting. In the land of the lost comes a small glisten of hope and new beginning. After the whole ordeal I found Ash laying by the beach fast asleep. I guess it's been a long night of sharing and witnessing terrifying situations. Once again I couldn't help but chuckle at Ash's reaction. I sit down next to her and cradled her head into my lap, I gently brushed some of the messy brown locks out of her face. Watching her sleep peacefully like this, she looks so young and carefree. No one would think a beautiful woman like this would had to go through all the ordeals that she's been put through. Silently I vow to myself that I would take care of this gorgeous being, I would do my best to prevent her from experiencing any more harm. However, I couldn't shake the nagging overshadow knowledge that this woman was sent to kill me. Just as I was deep in thought I felt Ash stir under my caress. I looked down and saw her eyes barely opened. The light of dawn was dancing on her iris, turning them into a beautiful shade of hazel.

"Morning, long time no see." She said softly and playfully accompanied by a shy smile. Just like that my heart melted, and all my guards dropped.


End file.
